Brown stands for pre-selection in fight for Senate seat

WESTERN Downs regional mayor Ray Brown will stand as one of the candidates to take on a Senate seat to be left vacant by Nationals favourite Barnaby Joyce.

The councillor will fight for pre-selection for the seat to replace Mr Joyce when he resigns from his seat to take on independent Tony Windsor in the New South Wales seat of New England at the coming election.

The contest for pre-selection will now be held in Mackay on May 25.

Cr Brown said he recently joined the Queensland LNP due to his interest in the Senate position following a long break from a stint with the Young Nationals as a younger man.

News Limited reported claims Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wanted the poll delayed until after the election as colleagues suggested the empty seat could be used for Coalition candidates if they failed to unseat Treasurer Wayne Swan or former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.